'Countdown to Christmas' movie review: 'Christmas at Graceland: Home for the Holidays'

Hallmark returns to Elvis Presley's iconic mansion with the holiday romance “Christmas at Graceland: Home for the Holidays” (premiering Nov. 23 as part of the Hallmark Channel's Countdown to Christmas), a movie with a needlessly complicated plot that takes too long to take shape.

In short: World-traveler Harper (Kaitlin Doubleday) returns home to Memphis for the holidays and nannies for wealthy widower Owen (Adrian Grenier) while awaiting news about a job overseas.

This has to be stated up front, "Home for the Holidays" is not a sequel to last year's "Christmas at Graceland," which starred Kellie Pickler and Wes Brown. In fact, aside from the fact that this new movie is also set in Graceland, this 2019 movie not connected to the 2018 “Christmas at Graceland" movie at all. So it's a bit confusing - and a bit misleading, given that the Pickler and Brown movie was among last year's most popular "Countdown to Christmas" movies and it got a direct sequel of its own ("Wedding at Graceland") last summer.

"Holidays" is plagued by a dilemma that other undisciplined Hallmark movies suffer: too many moving parts and parallel storylines that don't complement each other well. Harper is helping a friend plan a holiday-themed Elvis exhibit, while she waits on pins and nails about her dream job. Owen is planning a fundraiser at Graceland, which monopolizes his focus ... at the cost of time with his children. All the while Harper is also nannying for Owen's three children. So it's not surprising that "Holidays" takes way too long to become a focused story and leans way too hard on montages.

After the movie bobs along for the first 45 minutes, when "Holidays" finally finds its footing. The core of the story finds two people whose focus on their career has distracted from time with their loved ones. Harper has bounced all over Europe for the past few years and is in line for a prestigious new gig abroad - but only after spending some time with her sister and her two nieces. Meanwhile, Owen keeps a strict schedule for his three lovely kids - to establish stability after the loss of their mother, but too freely allows him to spend more time in his office than with his children. But because of its cluttered plot, "Holidays" doesn't get to spend as much time with the Harper and Owen as it should - and even when the story gets on track, its theme is a bit rush - eschewing the chance to have Owen start new holiday traditions and connections with his connections ... in favor of tech pitch meetings.

Final verdict: Despite its misleading title, underused historic backdrop and a plot that takes too long to get any traction, "Home for the Holidays" is warm story saved by its lovely theme of work-life balance.

Score: 2.5 turtle doves (out of 5)

"Christmas at Graceland: Home for the Holidays" is rated TV-G and has a running time of 90 minutes. The movie premieres on The Hallmark Channel on Nov. 23.